Solace
by crystal tiara
Summary: An alternative take on the waterfall scene with Vincent and Lucrecia.


**Solace**

by crystal tiara

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII. Never have, never will.

Alone she stayed in the crystal cavern behind the waterfall, singing melancholy lullabies to a child only she could see.

She had dwelled there for a fair amount of time now, and due to her grief over her sins, she'd lost contact with reality and slipped into insanity. Day in, day out, it was the same scenario---a beautiful woman, her messy hair all over her face, rocking back and forth, whispering to someone invisible and repeating the same name over and over.

"Sephiroth..."

Insane. A madwoman. The waterfall witch, she was called by travelers who had passed by her cave. She had heard every one of them, but she didn't mind. None of it mattered now. Her Sephiroth was with her, and that was all that mattered.

She heard footsteps making their way towards her cave. Were they coming just to mock her again?

"Lucrecia."

His resounding voice called her name over and over again, but she did not hear. She cuddled an imaginary bundle in her arms, too wrapped up to notice whoever it was calling for her.

"Oh, Sephiroth, you've been such a good child lately... my darling angel! When you grow up, you'll become a fine young man and bring joy to your mother!" She rambled almost endlessly, then began to laugh for no apparent reason.

"Lucrecia."

That stranger, again, his voice firmer this time. Lucrecia looked up, assuming a protective stance. "Who...who are you? Are you here to take him away? I---I won't let you!" She gazed deeply into the eyes of the man. He had jet-black hair that reached his waist, and was wearing an mysterious black outfit. He had a metal claw for an arm and a pair of familiar ruby eyes. "I said, who are you?"

He hastily replied, "Lucrecia, it's me, Vincent. Don't you remember? Anyway, I'm glad to see you're alive. All this time, I'd thought you were dead."

"Vin...cent..." Like a child learning to speak, she repeated his name, then shook her head quickly. "I don't know you! Back! Stay back!" Vincent could see the terror in her eyes. She looked genuinely scared of him, as if she couldn't remember what had happened thirty years ago. She couldn't have...gone mad, had she?

"Please, Lucrecia, try to remember. I'm Vincent Valentine, the former Turk."

She began to cry, probably out of confusion and grief. Sobbing madly, she screamed, "Vincent? Turks? I don't know anything about them! Please, I beg you, stop playing mind games with me!"

Vincent couldn't help but feel pity for her sad predicament. After having her son taken from her and being banished to live in a crystal cavern, the woman he loved had lost her mind from all the misery in her life. He wanted to hold her, to comfort her---and he did. He reached out to her, enveloping her in a warm embrace, something he hadn't done in years. "Lucrecia...shh. It's all right. As long as I'm here, there's no need to cry. Maybe you won't remember me, but I remember you. I just want you to know that I'm fine, but I still cannot get over the loss of you. And now I spend my life atoning for all my sins---for I am just a lowly sinner. I want you to know that I love you; I, who have sinned against you, am not worthy to love you. But I'll spend my life hoping for you to return my love."

Her cries grew softer, and after a few moments of silence, she finally spoke. "No---I remember now. Vincent, of the Turks. I dream a lot about Sephiroth. Sephiroth, my dear, sweet child. I want to hold him, but I never got to hold him. Not even once. You can't even call me his mother, and that is my sin. I am a sinner too. I want to see Sephiroth, even just once. Oh, have you seen Sephiroth?" Lucrecia began rambling again about Sephiroth, and Vincent held her tighter. She gazed deeply into those crimson orbs of his. "Please, Vincent, won't you please tell me about Sephiroth? How is he? I want to see him."

Vincent shuddered. He didn't know how to break it to her. For a while, he just looked at her, speechless, not knowing what to say. She would probably be driven further into insanity if he told her the truth about Sephiroth. He took a deep breath, and finally told her. "Sephiroth died five years ago."

"No." She looked at him defiantly. "You lie. He's not dead. I dream about him. I see him. I feel him. He's right here. Right here, and I see him. He can't be dead. He can't!" She pushed him away and cried harder to herself. She refused to let Vincent touch her or even get near her.

With sadness in his heart, he took one last look at her and left.

"Where are you going...?"

He had to leave her, he knew, to ease her from her pain. He had to let his scars heal for the heartbreak to stop. Even though it pained him to do so. "Even though I won't say anything, you will still know why I went away. I love you, Lucrecia. I always will. Be strong."

Everything was silent as she watched him go away.

~fin~

A/N: Well, how was it? I do hope it wasn't too complicated or too shallow. I thought that "Lucrecia goes mad" would be a great idea so I tried it out. I was inspired from a scene in the manga "Ayashi no Ceres" when Kagami visits his insane mother. One scene particularly struck me, which was the part when his mother asks, "Who are you?" and Kagami replies "Who am I? That's what I would like to know myself." or something like that. I wanted to include that but I felt it was out of place. Anyway, reviews are most welcome, especially constructive criticism, since I'm a 13-year-old writer who aspires to be a good one and not just a mediocre fic writer. 


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